Expanding earth anchor



Filed Aug. 8, 1952 milllllb Patented May 15, 1934 UNIE STATES PATENT OFFIQ EXPANDING EARTH ANCHOR August van Lantschoot,

Fairfield, Iowa, assignor Application August 8,

Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in expanding earth anchors and has particular relation to that type of anchor having a base plate connected to a tie rod and on the base pla e 5 radially expansible fiukes are mounted. The fiukes are connected to a spider slidingly mounted on the tie rod by means of links and are expanded when pressure is applied on the spider. In using anchors of this description, a hole is bored in the earth and the anchor and tie rod placed therein. Pressure by means of blows is then applied to the spider, driving the spider downwardly, which in turn causes the fiukes to be expanded into the solid earth. The hole is I then filled and the tie rod connected to the bracing element, or guy wire, as the case may be, all of which is well known in the art.

heretofore, on earth anchors, the fiukes have been mounted on a boss attached to the base plate, the said boss having an enlarged top to prevent the flukes from becoming disconnected therefrom. This was accomplished by forming a slot in the central part of the fluke and by further recessing the sides of the slot so that the fluke could be slipped over the enlarged top of the boss. This recess in the sides of the slot caused the fluke to fit loosely on the boss and weakened the flukes. It also created a tendency for the fluke to be driven sidewise when being expanded, thereby reducing the bearing surface of the anchor, and there was a likelihood of the fluke slipping off from the boss when being driven into the solid earth, causing the ilukes to enter the earth in a manner other than a right angle to the tie rod, which materially lessened the strength of the anchor.

The object of my invention is to provide an earth anchor wherein these defects are removed and to produce one wherein the fiukes have max- 40 imum strength, and the tendency of the flukes to be driven sidewise and to slip off from the boss on the base of the anchor when being expanded is eliminated. With my invention, it is also possible to expand the flukes a maximum distance into the solid ground.

Other advantages will appear from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the base plate and flukes of an earth anchor the fiukes "being in expanded position.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the base plate.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in perspective of the boss on the base, the base being broken away to conserve space.

1932, Serial No. 627,921

Figs. 4-5-6-7 are top views of the flukes.

Fig. 8 is a side View of the fluke shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of the base plate and boss.

Referring to the drawing, these show a base plate 10 having a boss 11 mounted thereon through which a central opening 12 extends. Flukes 16, 17, 18 and 19 are placed on the base plate 16, as will be later explained herein, and are supported thereon by the upwardly extended projections 15 on the base plate. Such an arrangement permits a tie rod to be inserted through the opening 12 and connected to the base plate by means of a nut. A spider is slidingly mounted on the tie rod having links secured thereto, the opposite ends of which engage the sockets 20 on the nukes. The construction of the tie rod spider and links is generally well known and therefore is not shown in the drawing. A suitable construction is shown in the patent to Blackburn, No. 1,041,233.

The boss 11 is provided with flanges 23 on the ends of its top portion. Below the flanges and across the sides of the boss an irregular groove 2% is made, said groove having substantially horizontal upper and lower end portions connected by an intermediate vertical portion whose sides form stops 25 and 26. The two remaining sides or" the boss each have recesses 27 and 28 therein, one end of each being obstructed by the stops 29 and 30 respectively.

The fiukes 16, 17, 18 and 19 are each made with a slot 31 in the central portion thereof and have lugs 32 formed at the opening of each side of the slot. The fluke 16 is first placed on the boss 11 by inserting the boss through the slot 31; The lugs 32 on this fluke are formed to lit in the recess 27 and to contact with the stop 29 so that the fluke will be limited in its outward movement. The fluke 17 is likewise placed on the boss 11 on the opposite side from fluke 16, and the lugs 32 on this fluke will lit in recess 28 and its outward movement limited by the stop 30. The slots 31 in the flukes 18 and 19 are not of suihcient width to be placed over the long diameter of the boss 11, and to connect these flukes to the hub I insert the lugs 32 on the fluke 19, which is the top fluke, in the groove 24 and move the fluke forward, up and forward until the fluke 19 abuts against the boss 11. The fluke 19, when in this position, can be raised sufiiciently to permit the lugs 32 on the fluke 18 to be inserted in the groove 24 on the opposite side from the fluke 19, and the fluke 18 can then be moved forward, down and forward until the fluke 18 abuts against the boss. The fluke 19 is provided with sloping ribs 33 on the sides of the slot 31. These ribs are adapted to contact with the flanges 23 on the boss 11 and thus prevent the tendency of the recessed end of the fluke 19 from riding up on the boss 11 caused by the pressure downward when the fluke is being expanded. The ribs 33 force the fluke 19 downwardly as the fluke is being expanded, thereby guiding the lugs 32 on said fluke into the upper groove 24 and against the stop 25 which limits the outward movement of the fluke and also prevents the lugs 32 on the fluke 18 from slipping through the groove 24 and past the stop 26. The fluke 18 is limited in its outward movement by the lugs 32 thereon contacting with the stop 26.

The projections 15 on the base plate support the flukes 17, 18 and 19 in their respective slightly elevated positions above the base plate. The flukes 16, 1'7, 18 and 19 and also the plate 10 are provided with openings 34, 35, 316, 37 and 38 respectively and when the flukes are contracted these openings are in alignment. A piece of wire or cord may be passed therethrough to hold the flukes in contracted position until the anchor is used.

It will be noted that the slots 31 in the flukes are only wide enough to permit the flukes to freely pass on the boss 11. This avoids the tendency of the flukes to move sidewise when bein expanded, as is often the case when the side of the slots in the flukes are recessed so that they may be slipped over the head of the boss. The possibility of the flukes slipping off the boss is eliminated as the flanges 23 extend over the edges of the fluke 19 adjacent the slot 31. It will be further noted that the stops 25 and 26 are a distance apart, which permits the flukes 18 and 19 to be expanded a maximum distance.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an expanding earth anchor, having a base with slotted flukes mounted thereon and means to expand the flukes, a flanged boss centrally mounted on the base provided with irregular grooves on opposite sides thereof, lugs on the flukes adapted to pass through the grooves and means formed in the grooves between the ends.

thereof for engaging the lugs on two of the flukes to limit the movement of the flukes when expanded.

2. In an expanding earth anchor, having a base with slotted fiukes mounted thereon and means to expand the flukes, a flanged boss centrally mounted on the base provided with irregular grooves on opposite sides thereof, lugs on the flukes adapted to pass through the grooves and stops formed in each of the grooves between their ends for engaging the lugs on two of the flukes to limit the movement of the fiukes when expanded.

'3. In an expanding earth anchor, having a base with slotted flukes mounted thereon and means to expand the flukes, a flanged boss centrally mounted on the base provided with grooves on opposite sides of the'boss, said groove having substantially horizontal upper and lower end portions connected by an intermediate vertical portion, lugs on the top fluke adapted to pass through the grooves, lugs on the fluke immediately thereunder adapted to enter the grooves on the side opposite from the top fluke and pass through the vertical portions in the grooves and stops formed by said vertical portions to limit the movement of the flukes when expanded.

4. In an expanding earth anchor, having a base with slotted flukes mounted thereon and means to expand the flukes, a flanged boss centrally mounted on the base provided with irregular grooves on opposite sides thereof, lugs on the flukes adapted to pass through the grooves, stops formed by the irregular grooves to limit the movement of the flukes when expanded and ribs on the top fluke adapted to contact with the flanges on the boss whereby the lugs on the top fluke will be directed into the grooves and against the stops as the fluke is expanded.

5. In an expanding earth anchor having a base with slotted flukes mounted thereon and means to expand the flukes, a flanged boss centrally mounted on the base provided with grooves therein on opposite sides of the boss, said groove having substantially horizontal upper and lower end portions connected by an intermediate vertical portion, lugs on the fiukes adapted to pass through the grooves, stops formed in the grooves to limit the movement of the flukes when expanded and ribs on the top fluke adapted to contact with the flanges on the boss to direct the lugs of the top fluke into the grooves and against the stops as the fluke is expanded, thereby obstructing the vertical portions in the grooves.

AUGUST VAN LANTSCHOOT. 

